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In response to a (surprising!) number of enquiries, a clarinet in G and a basset clarinet/basset horn in G have been introduced. Not for everyone, but for the clarinettist who has everything else and wants to be truly unique... ~~ The clarinet in G is suitable for klezmer music and Eastern European, Greek or Turkish folk music. It has a conventional clarinet shape (straight body, straight barrel and conventional bell) and a generically French-type bore. Keywork is standard Boehm system with the addition of an automatic register/throat Bb mechanism. It is played with a normal Bb/A clarinet mouthpiece. ~~ The basset clarinet or basset horn in G - the terms are interchangeable in this case - has a range to bottom C, and has two anticipated applications: for music of the Classical period calling for basset horn in G, notably a couple of works by Mozart (the Notturno K437 and the unfinished fragment of the first draft of the Clarinet Concerto); and for klezmer and folk music (or in fact any improvised music calling for this pitch range). With a bore diameter and outside body diameter similar to the A and Bb clarinets, and open finger holes with ring keys, it is built in the same way as the small bore basset horn in F described elsewhere on this site, apart from the bell; is likewise similar to the basset clarinets in A, Bb or C, except that a curved barrel is used, for ease of holding. Keywork is Boehm system plus an automatic register/throat Bb mechanism. It is played with a normal Bb/A clarinet mouthpiece. Standard basset keywork has
the low Eb key for the right hand little finger and three right thumb keys
for D, C# and C. (For general thoughts on the basset key arrangement,
click here.)
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